030774 nyt SENATE UNIT HAS ABORTION DEBATE

Buckley and Mrs. Abzug Differ on Amendments

WASHINGTON, March 6 Advocates and opponents of abortion clashed today at a hearing a" constitutional amendments that would overturn last year's Supreme Court decision legalizing such operations.

Politicians have been shying away front the issue for years,But Senator Birch Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, chairman of, the Senate Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments, said he had called the two days of hearings because "there are; probably more strong feelings and deep convictions on this issue than any other since I've'; been chairman."

"I don't particularly relish this role," he told spectators in the packed hearing room. He " said, it was like, "walking through a minefield."

Congressmen on both sides of the issue opened the debate', -;kith strongly worded state-' - is.

Senator James L. Buckley Conservative - Republican of New York. author of one amendment intended to protect the life of a fetus. said, "There. is no more important issue before the Senate and the nation."

"It Is an ironic and recurring aspect of the abortion debate that the proponents of, permissive abortion make rape and other hardship cases the major focal point of Controversy thereby diverting attention from the wholesale killing; which is the ultimate consequence of the reforms they seek," said Mr. Buckley.

Mrs. Abzug Testifies

Representative Bella S., Abzug, Democrat of Manhattan. cited estimates that "all throughout the period when anti-abortion laws were on the books, about one million American women were having abortions each year. illegal abortions were so common and profitable they were said to be the third largest source of criminal revenue''

She added: ''They will continue to be performed whether the constitution is amended or not:, this is a fact that no amount of moral wishing can  overcome.

If the fetus was considered a person, Mrs. Abzug said, "our entire system of laws would' become a chaotic mess."

"The Census would have to be retaken and all laws and practices that relate in any: wav to size of population! would be changed. The 'one' man, one vote' principle would have to be changed, for example. The pregnant woman;' would count for two but vote for one."

Representative John M.Zwach, Republican of Minnesota contended that conception began with the fertilization of the egg. When Mr.Bayh asked Mr. Zwach if life began with the fertilization or when the fertilized egg was implanted in the uterus five to eight days later, Mr. Zwach was perplexed. Instead of answering the question, he said there is a "sickness of
Americans. They have to have intercourse." he added that virtue is self-discipline."
Four Roman Catholic cardinals will testify tomorrow. The committee promised to have testimony from legal and medical sources on the constitutional issue later.